Sequential color display systems generally display colors one at a time. For example, in a three-color RGB sequential color display system, a first color displayed may be red (R), followed by a second color, such as green (G), and then followed by a third color, such as blue (B). The three-color RGB sequential color display system may then continually repeat the RGB color sequence or display a different color sequence, such as BGR, RBG, and so on. The sequentially displayed colors may then be used in the displaying of images.
In a sequential color display system using a microdisplay commonly referred to as a digital micromirror device (DMD), image data corresponding to a color of light being displayed may be provided to the DMD. The image data may be used to set the state (position) of the plurality of micromirrors in the DMD, wherein when a micromirror is in a first state (e.g., an ON state), the light being displayed may be reflected onto a display plane and when a micromirror is in a second state (e.g., an OFF state), the light may be reflected away from the display plane. When a different color of light or light of the same color but at a different intensity is being displayed, image data corresponding to the different color of light or light intensity may be provided to the DMD. A viewer's visual system generally will integrate the sequentially displayed image data to form images.
A color sequence may be designed so that colored light of various intensities (brightness) may be displayed. The color sequence thereby enables the displaying of generally the entirety of a range of light intensities displayable by a sequential color display system. For example, a color sequence may contain a binary weighted sequence of light intensities, ranging from a low light intensity of about 20 to a high light intensity of about 2N. This may enable the displaying of light intensities ranging from a low of about 20 to a high of about 2N+1−1. When there is a need to display a light of a given intensity on the display plane, light modulators in the microdisplay may be configured to direct a combination of the appropriate light intensities onto the display plane. For example, if there is a need to display a light intensity of 19 (binary 10011) in a DMD-based sequential color display system, then a micromirror may be configured to be in the ON state (to reflect light onto the display plane) when the color sequence specifies that light intensities of about 20, 21, and 24 are provided by the light source. The viewer's visual system may then integrate the three light intensities into a single light intensity of 19.